Eagles outscore Skyhawks 28-9 in 4-game stretch

The Eagles cruised to a 3-1 series win over Fort Lewis College, Durango, Colorado, last weekend, with two games being called early due to the mercy rule.

The first game started with the Skyhawks’ getting on the board first with an error that allowed an unearned run. The Eagles were not able to score in the bottom of the first but did manage to hold the Skyhawks scoreless in the top of the second. The score was still 1-0 in favor of the Skyhawks until the bottom of the second when Shea Graham, senior of Colorado Springs, Colorado, hit a sacrifice fly to center field, which allowed Caroline Johnson, senior of Firestone, Colorado, to score. The game was tied at 1-1 when Courtney Letcher, junior of Fort Collins, Colorado, stepped up and made a 3-run home run, putting the Eagles up 4-1.

Tayler Hall, senior of Windsor, Colorado, pitched the complete game and didn’t allow another hit until the top of the sixth inning when another error resulted in a run. The Eagles went on to win 4-2 without batting in the seventh inning.

“This weekend was my most successful series to date as an Eagle,” Hall said. “But it wouldn’t have been possible without my defense playing as well as they did behind me.”

The next game started off with the Skyhawks scoring two runs early in the top of the first inning on a two RBI play. The moment was short-lived for the Skyhawks as the Eagles came surging back in the bottom of the first thanks to Katelyn Kruger, senior of Highlands Ranch, Colorado, who made a play for Letcher to score an unearned run. After that moment the Eagles went on a scoring spree throughout the rest of the game. The Eagles scored nine more unanswered runs.

Cierra Cosslett, senior of Grand Junction, Colorado, pitched the final game of the day and only allowed the Skyhawks to score two runs off seven hits.  The Eagles dominated the Skyhawks and cruised to the finish line with a score of 10-2 to end Saturday’s games.

The Eagles picked up where they left off on Sunday, dominating the Skyhawks again. This time Hall pitched a shutout, only giving up one hit. Hall was named RMAC Pitcher of the Week, allowing only three hits in two games.

The Eagles played with energy the whole game running up the score right away. Kayla Michel, freshman of Brighton, Colorado, got the Eagles on the board with a 3-run homer in the top of the first. The Eagles went on to score at least once in every inning with the game being stopped in the top of the fifth due to the mercy rule. The Eagles won 11-0.

The teams still had one game left to play in the day even though the Eagles had already won the series. The Skyhawks jumped out to a hot start scoring four runs in the top of the first inning and then scoring one more in the second inning. The Eagles did hint at making a comeback, scoring two key runs in the bottom of the third. Rebekah Anthony, senior of Monument, Colorado, hit a single allowing Letcher to score an unearned run. Kruger hit a single to the left side of the field that allowed Anthony to score. The comeback did not last long though. The Eagles lost 5-3.

“So many good things came out of this weekend,” Hall said. “We played from ahead, we played from behind, but we never stopped fighting which is most important.”

The Eagles will travel to Spearfish, South Dakota, this weekend to play against the Black Hills State University Yellow Jackets on at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Friday and at noon and 2 p.m. Saturday.